Cell phones in Nigeria

Cell phones in Nigeria play a major role in Nigerian society. In Nigeria, phones became a major part of society due to the mobile phone revolution in Africa. Cell phones were widely accessible (even among rural people), as there were even cell phone vendors in public (mostly women) who rented out their cell phones to people in need; some people even sold mobile minutes on specially designed telephones. There were recharge cards that required purchase in able to allow for people to use their phones, so many people would use public cell phones instead of paying for their own phone bills. Many phone calls were short, and most conversations consisted of a person identifying themselves and asking for their listener to call them back. In Nigeria, there were even urban legends surrounding "killer numbers"; some text messages threaten recipients.